STUDENT SPONSORSHIP APPEAL

Background Information

Throughout its history RADA has provided student scholarships and bursaries for those in genuine financial need. During the past 14 years the student funding situation has been such that it has been necessary for the Academy to raise a substantial amount of scholarship/bursary funding each year in order to ensure that students offered a place at the Academy were able to take up their place and complete the training.

During this period work has been undertaken to attract additional funding for the Academy Scholarship/Bursary Endowment Fund though bequests, in addition to generating in excess of £300,000 per year in new donations to supplement the interest available through the Academy endowment fund. Students have also been encouraged to develop their own fundraising skills.

Since becoming a founding affiliate of a new Conservatoire for Dance and Drama in 2001, all Home and EU students are eligible for fees funding through HEFCE, paid through the Conservatoire. Students are required to pay only the mandatory student fee contribution, which in 2005/6 is £1175. Currently the only means of funding term time living costs for home students is to apply for a student loan. Many of the EU students do not have this option and rely on loans or family to provide sufficient funds to cover their maintenance costs. Many of our students come to RADA as postgraduates with a first degree and with existing student loans of up to £12,000. Many of the undergraduates also come with existing debts in the form of overdrafts or outstanding credit card accounts.

The funding available through the student loan system, even if an individual is offered the full amount available, does not cover the full costs of living in central London, which we estimate is now between £9000 to £9,500. The deficit for many students is in excess of £3000 per year. Many students therefore need additional support through sponsorship to cover their living costs, if they are to complete their RADA training.

The contact time at RADA is in excess of 36 hours a week. Students frequently have additional work to prepare in the evenings and at weekends, which precludes them undertaking regular part-time work without detriment to the training or their health. They have little time to tend to personal affairs and have to be extremely well organised to balance a very tight budget and keep on top of bill payments within this schedule.

In September 2006, Top up fees will be introduced. The current thresholds for receipt of support will be moved when these fees are introduced and will potentially exclude many students in order to increase the level of support provided for those from lower income brackets. In this respect, RADA is the victim of its own success. Through its outreach work, it has succeeded in attracting a large number of students from both low and middle income families.

In 2006/7 it is anticipated that, should these trends continue, the Academy will have many students who will fall just outside the revised bracket for support (£17,500 -£37,000) and where the parents are not in a position to accept financial responsibility for bridging the deficit on the maintenance costs.

Many of the students will be eligible to add the Top Up fee onto the student loan so the costs are deferred until they graduate, however, this will substantially increase the level of their debt. Students joining the course in September 2006 with a first degree will not have this facility.

If you are in a position to make a donation to provide financial support for RADA students to enable them to complete their training, you will be supporting the actors and technicians of the future. To make a charitable donation direct to the Academy scholarship/ bursary fund contact Patricia Myers, Registrar at patriciamyers@rada.ac.uk

For details of endowment giving or bequests contact the
Development Director Alisondunnett@rada.ac.uk